Historic landmarks eyed for demolition get boost from Hollywood A-listers
The historic West-Park Presbyterian Church, located on Manhattan's Upper West Side, is in need of tens of millions of dollars in repairs. The church, built in 1889, has seen its membership dwindle over the years, and with it the money needed to restore the building.
But now actor Mark Ruffalo is on a mission to preserve the church and save its place as a life-support system for the community.
"It just has this incredible history," Ruffalo told ABC News reporter Ashan Singh for "Nightline." "And you can feel it when you're here. A building like this carries the spirit of, and the culture of, what has happened here over the history of its lifetime."
Despite its landmarked status, the building is in jeopardy after the Presbyterian Church filed a hardship application with the Landmarks Preservation Commission of New York City, or LPC. If granted, the building will be sold to developers.
"Listen, the building needs work," Ruffalo admitted. "You know, it's like every other brownstone in the Upper West Side. I mean, if you walk down any of these blocks, you'll see, you know, 15% of the buildings have got scaffolding in front of them. But that doesn't mean it's falling down."
The controversy of whether to save iconic sites is playing out across the nation. Many historic sites are losing the battle to the wrecking ball and, across the nation, there's a pattern of historic buildings getting torn down.
In the Bay Area, the iconic Circle Star Theatre – where Frank Sinatra and Aretha Franklin performed – was torn down. In Oklahoma City, the 'Egg' Church where families gathered after the 1995 bombing was destroyed after the city failed to landmark it. And in Philadelphia, the demolition of a church built in the 1880s by Polish immigrants began last year.
"Without the past, we don't have a guide to the future," Michael Devonshire, a former commissioner on the Landmarks Preservation Commission of New York City, told "Nightline." "And it is that past that informs our present and it informs our future. We spend our lives in buildings. And it is incumbent upon us, in my opinion, to maintain and retain those that have meaning to us. Otherwise, culturally, we're completely bereft."
But there are some cities that pride themselves on preservation and restoration.
Danielle Del Sol is the director of the preservation resource center of New Orleans. Not only is New Orleans a well-preserved city, but it boasts its history and culture on every street corner.
"We have an unparalleled sense of authenticity in New Orleans, and that is in large part because of our historic building stock," Del Sol said. "Our neighborhoods, our buildings have a very distinct flair feel, and it creates very unique places and experiences that you can only have here."
The city is such an iconic American landmark that its preservation is vital to New Orleans' economy.
"If we don't look and feel like New Orleans, tourists will no longer come and the residents here will have a significant loss in terms of quality of life," Del Sol told "Nightline."
Preserving the city has not come easy -- many have had to fight for it.
Actor Wendell Pierce - known for his work in "Jack Ryan" and "The Wire" -- grew up in Pontchartrain Park, a historic African American neighborhood born during segregation and the Civil Rights Movement. It is a place where Pierce found true community.
"Growing up in Pontchartrain Park was bucolic. It was this really wonderful place to grow up because it takes a village to raise a child. And we were a true village," Pierce told "Nightline." "True community, really the best of the American dream, really."
But in 2005, Hurricane Katrina ravaged the community and drowned the city in water. Pierce's own neighborhood was on the brink of ruin. But he, along with others, rallied to save their community.
"We brought it back because it was too important to let go," Pierce said. "We epitomized all the things that reflect the American esthetic that should be preserved."
In 2020, after years of rebuilding, Pontchartrain Park became designated on the National Register of Historic Places.
"We don't preserve everything. We preserve those things that are of great importance and will service us now and in the future," Pierce told "Nightline." "It speaks to our humanity. If we forget where we come from, then we are doomed to fail."
Ruffalo shares Pierce's ideology.
"Why is it important for you to stick your neck out for this place and fight this fight?" Singh asked Ruffalo about West-Park.
"I live around the corner, right?" Ruffalo said. "I was, at 18 years old, that starving artist who needed a home like this. These places give kids direction. They give them opportunities."
"Art boosts the economy. This city runs on art. This is a breeding ground for young artists. So, it's not just the historical value of the place, which is immensely important. It's also what it gives to the community."
But the costs for repairs – estimated to be as much as $50 million – have become too much of a burden on the congregation, according to Roger Leaf, the Chair of the West-Park Administrative Commission.
"After the building was landmarked the membership of the church dropped pretty precipitously," Leaf said. "Because it had become far less about the mission of the church and more about somehow dealing with the countless issues related to the building itself. Pieces of the building's facade were literally peeling off onto the sidewalk."
"There were grandiose commitments made on the part of elected officials about the amount of money that could be raised or would be raised to restore the building so that it would not fall exclusively on the shoulders of a small and struggling church to maintain this magnificent building, or formerly magnificent," Leaf continued. "None of that money was ever, ever materialized."
The church, which has a lengthy history of worship, also has roots in social justice and entertainment. The Russian Arts Theater Troupe currently calls West-Park its home.
Many members of the local community view West-Park as a safe haven. Former and current Upper West Side stars such as Amy Schumer, Common, Wendell Pierce, and Kenneth Lonergan have all vowed to save this church, some even planning on hosting fundraisers in November.
"It's a fight about preserving our connection to each other," said Ruffalo. "There's nothing wrong with development. OK, we need development in the city, but not at the cost of places like this."
ABC News reached out to the city and the LPC and they said the hardship application is under review.
